DIY Emire Waist Dress

Monday, October 26, 2009

Got a silver dress at H&M two years ago with an impossibly small bust area. The kind that would be perfect for the girl who can go bra-less. Thanks H&M. But I'm the idiot who bought it because it was shiny and I just wanted it.

So I wore it once with a cardigan over it and it's been sitting in the closet ever since.

I found a cute black tank top at NY&Company for $6 and had an idea for salvaging the dress.

I detached the skirt of the dress, chopped off the bottom of the tank top and then shirred* the two pieces together. Since the tank top already had some cute tulle ruffle detailing, I decided to expand on that by adding a layer of black tulle over the skirt and letting the raw edges of the skirt be exposed.

Paired with my favorite cinch belt, I have an adorable new dress.

You can't always change your body to fit into clothes, but you can always change the clothes to fit your body.

*Shirring is simply fabric gathered by elastic and if you have a sewing machine it is super easy.All you need is some thin round elastic cord, hand wound on a bobbin. Use your regular thread on top and be sure to lock your stitch at the beginning and end. As you sew, your fabric will automatically gather!